Idaho Code

Idaho Code § 49-428 (2026)

Display of plate and stickers.

✓ current as of May 2026

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Display of plate and stickers.

(1) License plates assigned to a motor vehicle shall be attached, one (1) in the front, if the vehicle is equipped with a front license plate mounting bracket, and the other in the rear, with the exception of the following:

(a) The license plate assigned to a motorcycle, all-terrain vehicle, utility type vehicle, motorbike or semitrailer and the license plate assigned to a motor vehicle operated by a manufacturer, repossession agent or dealer shall be attached to the rear.

(b) Vehicles displaying year of manufacture, old timer, classic car, street rod, or custom vehicle license plates shall be allowed to display one (1) plate attached to the rear of the vehicle.

(d) The wrecker plate shall be displayed on the vehicle being towed in such a manner as to be visible when the vehicle being towed is approached from the rear.

License plates shall be displayed during the current registration year. The annual registration sticker for the current registration year shall be displayed on each license plate, except for trailers, semitrailers, and commercial vehicles over twenty-six thousand (26,000) pounds under the provisions of sections 49-434 and 49-435, Idaho Code. For the purposes of this title, the license plates together with the registration stickers shall be considered as license plates for the year designated on the registration sticker. For purposes of this chapter, a validation sticker issued to the operator of an all-terrain vehicle, utility type vehicle, or motorbike under the provisions of sections 67-7122 and 67-7124, Idaho Code, shall be considered the registration sticker.

(2) Every license plate shall at all times be securely fastened to the vehicle to which it is assigned to prevent the plate from swinging, be at a height not less than twelve (12) inches from the ground, measuring from the bottom of the plate, be in a place and position to be clearly visible, and be maintained free from foreign materials and in a condition to be clearly legible, and all registration stickers shall be securely attached to the license plates and shall be displayed as provided in section 49-443(4), Idaho Code.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 14 cases (3 in the last 5 years), 2002–2025 · leading case: State v. Martin, 218 P.3d 10 (Idaho Ct. App. 2009).

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State v. Martin, 218 P.3d 10 (Idaho Ct. App. 2009). · cites it 46× “” Idaho Code Ann. § 49-428 (2). The Court agrees with the Magistrate Judge’s findings that Trooper Sherbondy had reasonable and articulable suspicion that Defendant’s license plate, being secured by only one bolt and hanging at an angle, appeared not to be securely fastened and…”

State v. Phillip James Morgan, 294 P.3d 1121 (Idaho 2013). · cites it 8× “Idaho Code § 49-428 requires that a vehicle registered in Idaho display both front and rear license plates.”

State v. Tregeagle, 391 P.3d 21 (Idaho Ct. App. 2017). · cites it 38× “After a hearing, the magistrate denied the motion to suppress, reasoning Tregeagle violated the “clearly visible” requirement of I.C. § 49-428(2) when her trailer ball hitch partially obstructed the license plate.”

State v. Cook, 444 P.3d 877 (Idaho 2019). · cites it 2× “Idaho Code section 49-428(2) establishes the requirements necessary for displaying license plates.”

United States v. Stewart, 473 F.3d 1265 (10th Cir. 2007). “Idaho Code Ann. § 49-428 (1); Utah Code Ann.”

State v. Champagne, 52 P.3d 321 (Idaho Ct. App. 2002). · cites it 2× “See I.C. § 49-428. . Champagne does not appeal from her judgment of conviction for DWP.”

State v. Lowder (Idaho Ct. App. 2021). · cites it 32× “Idaho Code § 49-428 provides in relevant part: (1) License plates assigned to a motor vehicle shall be attached, one (1) in the front and the other in the rear .”

State v. Marvie J. Treageagle (Idaho Ct. App. 2017). · cites it 32× “After a hearing, the magistrate denied the motion to suppress, reasoning Tregeagle violated the “clearly visible” requirement of I.C. § 49-428(2) when her trailer ball hitch partially obstructed the license plate.”

State v. Lucas Darnell Francke (Idaho Ct. App. 2017). · cites it 16× “The officer stopped the pickup, in which Francke was a passenger, for a violation of I.C. § 49-428(2), which requires that every license plate be clearly visible.”

State v. St. Clair (Idaho Ct. App. 2018). · cites it 12× “Here, the relevant statute, Idaho Code § 49-428 (2) reads, in relevant part, “Every license plate shall at all times .”

State v. Debra Joan Noeller (Idaho Ct. App. 2016). · cites it 6× “” As such, the district court held, “the mere existence of window tinting cannot serve as a basis for reasonable suspicion to allow an officer to stop a vehicle to test the window tint when the vehicle is not registered in Idaho.”

State v. Walsh (Idaho Ct. App. 2018). · cites it 2× “Walsh claims this is so because 2 his fiancée testified that Walsh does not have a ball attached to his trailer hitch and because Walsh “asserted before the district court” that “one can assume that there was snow on the street and [it was] difficult to see the dividing lines…”

Show all 14 citing cases →

— Idaho Code § 49-428(2) — 10 cases

State v. Tregeagle, 391 P.3d 21 (Idaho Ct. App. 2017). “After a hearing, the magistrate denied the motion to suppress, reasoning Tregeagle violated the “clearly visible” requirement of I.C. § 49-428(2) when her trailer ball hitch partially obstructed the license plate.”

State v. Cook, 444 P.3d 877 (Idaho 2019). “Idaho Code section 49-428(2) establishes the requirements necessary for displaying license plates.”

State v. Martin, 218 P.3d 10 (Idaho Ct. App. 2009). “” Idaho Code Ann. § 49-428 (2). The Court agrees with the Magistrate Judge’s findings that Trooper Sherbondy had reasonable and articulable suspicion that Defendant’s license plate, being secured by only one bolt and hanging at an angle, appeared not to be securely fastened and…”

State v. Marvie J. Treageagle (Idaho Ct. App. 2017). “After a hearing, the magistrate denied the motion to suppress, reasoning Tregeagle violated the “clearly visible” requirement of I.C. § 49-428(2) when her trailer ball hitch partially obstructed the license plate.”

State v. Lucas Darnell Francke (Idaho Ct. App. 2017). “The officer stopped the pickup, in which Francke was a passenger, for a violation of I.C. § 49-428(2), which requires that every license plate be clearly visible.”

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